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Gilliam, Parks to be honored by HEADWAE
Nancy Patterson
2/3/05
Sophomore Rachel Parks of Senatobia and James Gilliam of Potts Camp, a faculty member on the Senatobia campus, will represent Northwest Mississippi Community College at the 18th annual Higher Education Appreciation Day-Working for Academic Excellence (HEADWAE) program in February in Jackson.
Parks, 20, is majoring in pre-engineering at the Senatobia campus and plans to be a successful chemical engineer.
"It feels good to be honored as a HEADWAE student. I was surprised. It feels good that the teachers acknowledge my hard work and are helping me to be successful," said Parks.
Parks has a 4.0 grade point average and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa national honor society. She is also on the president's list every semester, on the national dean's list, a member of the United States Achievement Academy and was named to Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges.
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Instructor Jim Gilliam of Potts Camp and student Rachel Parks of Senatobia will represent Northwest Mississippi Community College at the annual HEADWAE event in Jackson in February. (Photo by Angie Barmer)
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President of the Spanish Club for two semesters, Parks is also a member of the Math and Science Club and was nominated for Northwest Hall of Fame.
Furthermore, Parks also has served as a volunteer at the Tate County Literacy Council, worked as a tutor in the Student Support Services at Northwest and serves as a Sunday school teacher at the Longtown Church of God.
Northwest physics instructor Dr. Manaf Ali said, "She's (Parks) hardworking, devoted, and she's a good student to receive this honor." Gilliam is the tool and die instructor. He has worked at Northwest for 14 years.
"I was shocked, surprised and honored all at the same time. I love teaching students the tool and die trade," Gilliam said. Gilliam was named to Who's Who Among America's Teachers and has participated in the in state SkillsUSA state machining competition. His students have won first place six times, second place twice and third place twice.
"Gilliam is not only an outstanding instructor, but he also cares so deeply about the future of his students. He works very hard to place his students in the tool and die field. He is possibly the "best" teacher I have worked with during my 30-year career," said Jerry Nichols, Career-Technical dean.
HEADWAE annually honors an outstanding student and an outstanding faculty member from each participating member institution of the Mississippi Association of Colleges. It is sponsored by the Mississippi Legislature and supported by the corporate community. Each Northwest campus nominated a student and faculty member for the honor, then the faculty members chose the final representattives.
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